Self-starter or the like



0. A. ROSS.

SELF STARTER 0R THE LIKE.

y APPLICATIONTILED ma. 7, 1911.

[NVE OR.

imlriilafrl oFFicE.

oscar. L Boss, oir NEW Yonx, N. in

Speoication of Letters Patent.

snm-STARTER on. THE Lima rammen'sap-t.I e, 1921.

Application led February 7, 1917. Serial No. 147,224.

To all wtomit may concern:

Be 4it known that I, OSCAR A. Ross, a citizen of the United States,residing inthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented 'newand' useful Self-Starters orthe like, of which the following isaspecilassociated therewith of such construction that a minimum of mentaland physical effort will be required to start an internal combustionengine by means of the starter, and so arranged that the mechanism willautomatically cause the starter as the driving element to become thedriven element, acting as a generator when the speed of the enginestarted has arrived at a predetermined high speed, also inverselyautomatically causing said generator to become the driving element whenthe speed of the engine has been reduced to a predetermined low speed.

Another object of the invention is to produce a starter whereby thestarting motor, or generator is arranged in substantialalinement withthe crank shaft` of the engine whereby as the motor is transformed intova generator'it becomes directly connected to said crank shaft reducingtransmission losses to a minimum. f

Otherobjects and advantages will appear as the description of theinvention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In describing the invention in detail reference isl had to theaccom-panying raw-l ings, wherein I have illustrated a preferredphysical embodiment of my invention,.a`nd' wherein like characters ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,and in which,

Figurel, is an elevational view partly in section of an internalcombustion engine with my starting device connected thereto.

Fig. l2, is a' schematic view illustrating` diagrammatically other4preferred mechanism, employed withlmy starting device, together withthe preferred manner and mode of electrically interconnectingv thevarious electrical parts. Y

Fig 3, is a detail view of a clutch mechamsm employed in my invention,looked at in the direction of arrow b Fig. l.

. 1, designates cylinders of'anv internal combustioii engine of whichvthe crank shaft is designated by 2, terminating at one end in a plate 3,against which-one endof spring 4, bears.

The shaft 2, `carries slidably mounted thereon the internall, andexternally toothed gear wheel 5. he wheel 5, is constrained to turn withthe ,crank shaft 2, 'at all times by means of a key (not shown), and islimited in its movement longitudinally on shaft 2, in one direction bycollar 7, pinned to the shaft, and is prevented by means of the spring4, from moving in the other direction longitudinally of the yshaftunless considerable orce is exerted upon the wheel to move it againstthe action of the spring. The wheel 5, also bears circumferential groove8, into which is inserted a finger 9, which is rigidly connected to thelongitudinall slidable rod 10, which carries handle 11. s will bereadily seen any longitudinal movement of wheel 5, along the shaft 2,imparts a corresponding movement j to rodv 10.

The collar 7 pinned to the shaft 2, is provided with diametricallyopposite notches I in which the centrifugal `-weights 12, are pivoted.Said weights normally rest in-the position shown, bearing against theshaft 2, vwith the projections 13, resting inv a groove in wheel 5.While the armature 17 of the self starter is operating to crank theengine the speed of crank shaft 2, is low, in actual practice runningfrom 100 to 200 revolutions per minute. At this speed the centrifugalaction is not sulicient to impart enough power to weights 12, to movepro'ections 13, .l

rom the rest position groove. owever as the engine begins to operateunder its own fuel, its speed becomes veryhigh as co'mpared to thecranking speed and at such time sufficient centrifugal action isobtained inthe weights 12, to force projections '13, from the restposition groove and, as the resistance of forcing projections 13, fromsaid roove is overcome, said projections imme iately move to the inner,or 'run-ning position groove 60, thereby forcing wheel 5, againsta'ndcomico . pressin spring 4, so that the external teeth upon w eel 5, moveout of mesh with clutch z plnion 14, and the internal teeth move intoshaft 22, journaled in the casing of the motor mesh with the teeth ofpinion 15.

The inner groove 60, on wheel 5, is of such construction that afterprojections 13, are Seated in said groove they cannot be removed by afurther rise in the speed of the crank .shaft and further, they willremain in said groove on reductions of speed of abnormal amounts, onlyleaving said groove as the engine speed mearly gapproaches zero, atwhich time the weights 12, make a qui-ck movement again permitting wheel5, to engage gear 14, and arranging other coperating parts to cause thegenerator to act as a motor whereby mere pressing willagainautomatically cran the engine.

Pinlon 15, is preferably rigidly attached to the shaft 18., and 19, andbrushes, as 20g only one of which is shown as the motor is in section.To the outer end of the shaft 16, a manually o erated starting crank maybe connected as s own, or any of the well known forms of manuallyoperated starting means may be connected thereto. The terminals of themotor are designated collectively by A.

A gear wheel 21, is revolubly mounted on and engine. lThe shaft carriestwo disks 23, and 24, which act as friction means for rotating gear 21.Disk 23, is constrained to revolve with shaft 22, by means of key 25,and is also rigidly secured to said shaft by means of a pin, not shown.Disk 24, is likewise constrained to revolve with shaft 22, by means ofkey 25, but however has longitudinal movement thereon and is pressedtoward the gear wheel 21, by spring 26,

Awhich bears againstvcollar 27, pinned to shaft 22. This constructionallows slipping between shaft 22, and gear 21, when any excessivetendency exists for another force to drive gear wheel 21, in thedirection opposite to normal, but at the same time allows pinion 15, tonormally drive shaft 22.

The shaft 22, also carries the clutch pinion 14, shown in detail in Fig.3. The pinion proper is an annulus having teeth formed in 1ts periphery,designated 141. Within the annulus and surrounded by it, is a ballcarrier 142. This ball carrier has notches cut in its periphery atintervals as shown which are of such depth at one end that a ball as143, placed therein will not extend beyond the periphery of the member142, when located in that end of the notch which is deepset but willextend beyond the periphery when located in the other end of the notch,consequently when member 142, is rotated in the dlrecticn of arrow a bya rotation of shaft 22, the balls will all be moved to the shallow partof the notch and thereby moof button 30, i

16, which forms the shaft ofv armature 17, of a motor, having fieldcoils is accomplished is as follows;

tion will be transmitted to annulus 141. If annulus 141, is itself movedin the direction of arrow a by the engine no motion will-be transmittedto member 142, and shaft 22, consequently the engine may acquire a Speedmuch greater than that of the motor without transmitting motion to themotor until pinion 15, and internally toothed gear wheel 5, mesh intoeach other.

In Fig. 2, 28, designates a slow acting relay. 29, is a relay whichrequires a certain fixed difference of potential across its terminalsbefore it will raise its armature.

Assume it is desired 'to crank engine by means of the self starter.Button 30, is pressed which completes a circuit from wire 31, to 32,thus causing current to fiow in the following path; positive terminal ofbattery 33, wire 34, lever 35, ofthe double arm switch operated by rod10, wire 3l, switch 36, wire 32, resistance 37, wires 38, and 39, seriesfield 18, wires 40, and 41, brush 20, armature 17, the other brush 20',wires 42, 53 and 43, arm 44, and wire 45, to the negative terminal ofbattery 33. Resistance 37, serves to prevent excess flow of current asthe circuit is closed through the stationary armature 17, but' is cutout immediately after the said armature has started rotating, by meansof armature 49, of the slow acting rela 28.

The motion of the armature 17, is transmitted through shaft 16, pinion15, gear wheel 21, shaft 22, member 142, balls 141, pinion 141, gearwheel 5, and shaft 2, to the engine 1, whereby if proper fuel andigniting means are present the engine will start. As soon as the engineassumes the load under its own fuel, its speed increases rapidly andover runs the "motor, however as hereinbefore explained it does not'transmit motion thereto by means of pinion 141; however the weights 12move away from shaft 2, thereby forcing projections 13, from the outergroove to inner groove 60, in wheel 5, in this manner moving said wheelfrom engagement with pinion 141, into mesh with pinion 15, in thismanner driving armature 17, directly from the crank shaft 2, without anintervening gearing.

imultaneous with the movement of wheel 5, into mesh with pinion 15, rod10, is moved thereby causing the upper ends of levers 35, and 44, tomove tothe left and contact with wires 50, and 51. 'The first result ofthis movement is to cause the generator acting on its own residualmagnetism to build up a greater flux density of the fields. The circuitthrough the shunt field by which this right hand brush 20, wires 41. and54. shunt field 19, wire 55, bridge @,Vwires 53, and 42, left hand brush20', thence through the armature winding to the other brush. By reasonof the direction of winding of the shunt field the direction of themagnetic flux generated by the shunt field is 1n the same direction asthe ilux generatedl in the fields. by the startin current which fiowedthrough the motor fiom battery 33, so that the action of the shunt fieldis to build up rather than oppose the residual flux caused by thestarting current.

. imultaneously with building up the iiux by the shunt field, a currentalso iows in the series field as follows; right hand brush 20, wires-41,and 40, series field 18, wires 39, and 50, arm 35,wires 34, and 56, highvoltage relay 29, wire 57, bridge 52, wires 53, and 42, left hand brush20, and thence by the armature winding to the other brush` 20. When thearmature 17, has acquired sufiicient speed, a suiiicient voltage isgenerated to cause relay 29, to raisev armature 58, in this mannercausing said generator to charge the battery 33, through the followingcircuit; right hand brush 20, wires 41, and 40, series field 18, wires39,.-and 50, arm 35, wire 34, battery 33, wire 45, arm 44, wire'51, ar-1 mature 58, wires 59, and 57, bridge 52, wires 53, and 42, left handbrush 20, and thence by the armature to right hand brush 20.

It should be observed that the generator is not connected across thebattery terminals until it has built up its voltage, due to relay' 29,sufficient to overcome the counter-electromotlve-force of the battery.

It should also be observed that the starting current flows throughseries field coil 18, in an opposite direction toI that in which thegenerated current which acts to charge battery 33, flows, and further,that the shunt field acts to generate a-magnetic flux in the vfields inthe same direction as the flux generated by the starting current,consequently, it willnbe seen that the iux generated by the series fieldwhen acting as a generator is opposite to the flux enerated by the shuntfield. The result o? such a construction is that when the generatorattains a' speed greater than a fixed minimum, the battery is notsubjected to agreater and greater potential across its terminals, but isstill subjected to a certain fixed minimum potential difference only,because all speeds above a certain fixed maximum byA tending to`increase the density of magnetic flux caused by series field 18, byjust that amount decreasethe effective flux caused by shunt field 19,and so decrease the ability of the generator to increase the potential'differs ence at its terminalsand the result thereby is such that batte33, can never, no matter what the speed oy engine may be, be darnaged bytoo high difference of potential impressed across its terminals.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physicalembodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and .principlethereof; nevertheless I desire toy have itunderstood that the form WhatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:`

1. In a device-of the kind described, an internal combustion engine, adynamo connected therewith, a source of energy therefor, meanscontrolling the relation of said source of energy to said dynamo, meansincluding gearing for effecting a change of speed relation between saidengine and said dyname, and means aiected by the speed of said enginefor simultaneously controlling said means ccntroiiing the relation ofsaid source of energy to said dynamo, and said means for affecting aspeed relation between said engine and said motor-generator.

2. In a device of the kind described, an internal combustion engine, adynamo connected therewith, reduction gearing interposed therebetween,means including a centrifuge operable at a predetermined speed toexclude said gearing, and at a predetermined lower speedto include saidgearing said means remaining inoperative to include.

or exclude said gearing between said speeds,

and means for direct connecting said internal combustion engine and saiddynamo when said gearing is excluded.

3. In a combined starter and generator, in combination: a `shaft of aninternal combustion engine; a dynamo having a shaft; gearing including agear mounted on the dynamo shaft connecting the shaft of the dynamo andthe shaft of the internal combustion engine, including a one way clutchwhereby the dynamo shaft may turn theengine shaft but the engine shaftcannot turn lche dynamo shaft and including a gear slidably mounted onthe engine shaft, a cen trifuge driven by the engine shaft and having apart bearing against the said slidable gear whereby vwhen the engineshaft attains a certain speed the slidable gear will be moved bodily andinto operative engagement with the gear mounted on the dynamo shaft; asource of electro-motive force; circuit connections between the saidsource and the dynamo including switching devices; means for closing acircuit through the dynamo causing it to act as a motor supplied withenergy from the said source and means governed by the slidable gear forchanging the circuit between the dynamo and the said source whereby thedynamo will act. as a generator and supply energyto said source.

4. Inga combined starter and generator, in combination: an engine shaft;a slidable gear mounted on' the engine shaft; means responsive to acertain engine shaft speed i for moving the slidable gear; a dynamo;means governed by the slidable gear for causing said dynamo to functionas agenerator and for driving said dynamo.

' 5. In a combined starter and generator, in combination: an engineshaft; a slidable gear mounted on the engine shaft; means responsive toa -certain engine shaft speed for moving the slidable gear in onedirection; means for moving the slidable dear in another direction uponthe engine shaft speed decreasing to a certain minimum; a dynamo; anormally open circuit including a source of'electro-motive forceincluding a manually operable circuit closer and a switching device; andmeans operable 4by said slidable gear for operating said switchingdevice whereby sald dynamo lfunctions as a motor upon operation of saidmanually operable circuit closer.'

6. In a combined starter and generator, in combination: an engine shaft;a slidable gear mounted on the engine shaft; means for moving theslidable ear in one direction upon the engine shaigt attaining acertain` speed; means for movingthe slidable gear in another directionupon the engine shaft speed decreasing to a certain mmimum; a dynamo;normally open circuits including a source of electro-motive force andincludlcombination ing a manually operable circuit closer and agenerator in one position of the slidable' gear and whereby saidl dynamofunctions as a` motor upon operation of said manually operable circuitcloser in the other position. of the slidable gear.

7. In a combined starter and generator; in an engine shaft; ay slidablegear upon the engine shaft; a resilient means for moving said gear inone direction; a centrifuge for moving said gear in an oppositedirection and means whereby the said centrifuge moves said gear when theengine shaft has attained a predetermined definite speed in increasingfrom zero speed, and whereby the said centrifuge will cause said gear toremain in moved position until the engine shaft speed has nearlyapproached zero speed When the engine speed decreases from a speedhigher than the said predetermined denite speed.

In testimony whereof, I, Osc/AR A. Ross, have signed my name to thisspecification thisth day of February 1917 osoAR A. Ross.

